20 Students Chosen As Junior Scholars

(June 18. 2013) --- Twenty Darlington County School District students have qualified as Junior Scholars this year as part of a State Department of Education program designed to encourage talented middle school students in South Carolina.

"Being chosen as a South Carolina Junior Scholar is a tremendous accomplishment. This is the largest group of Junior Scholars we have had in awhile, said Dr. Rainey Knight, superintendent of Darlington County School District. "We are very proud of these students for their hard work and their dedication to academic excellence."

This years Junior Scholars from Darlington Middle School are:

 Emily Cooper

 Christina Epps

 Richard Gardner

 Jason Hazel

 Nefer-Temu Marine

 Julian McCormick

 Deepak Melwani

 Jacob Spencer

This years Junior Scholars from Hartsville Middle School are:

 Tykia Blakney

 Jacob Caldwell

 Mary Charles

 Elana Davis

 Sydney Dennis

 Nolan Dittenhauser

 Noah Greenawalt

 Katherine Harper

 Daniel Johnson

 Weston Light

 Jaylen Pullom

 Benjamin Skinner

South Carolinas Junior Scholars Program was initiated by the State Department of Education to identify eighth grade students with exceptional academic talent and to create special programs to develop their abilities.

Eighth graders who scored well on standardized tests qualified for a special administering of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). Those who scored 50 or better on the verbal, math, or writing sections of the PSAT or who were Duke TIP scholars in the seventh grade qualified as South Carolina Junior Scholars.